A full body workout for men over 40 trains legs, push, pull and core in every session, so it still works when your week falls apart. This program uses three different sessions, A, B and C, each built around one main lift: squat on A, hinge on B, press on C. You don’t assign them to weekdays. You just do the next one in the rotation whenever you train, two, three or four times a week, and progress with rep ladders that suit a schedule you can’t predict.
Why a rotation instead of fixed days
Fixed splits break the moment a work trip or a sick kid eats a session. With a rotation, the next workout is always the next letter, and nothing gets skipped for two weeks. Every session hits the whole body, so even at twice a week each muscle is trained twice, which is the frequency associated with better muscle growth than once a week. It also covers Canada’s guideline of muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week no matter how the week goes.
How the rotation plays out
| Frequency | Week 1 | Week 2 | Each session comes around |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 days a week | A, B | C, A | Every 1.5 weeks |
| 3 days a week | A, B, C | A, B, C | Weekly |
| 4 days a week | A, B, C, A | B, C, A, B | 1.3 times a week |
Leave at least one day between sessions where you can. If you train four times, put the rest day after every second session (for example Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday).
Session A: squat focus
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Reps in reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat or goblet squat | 3 × 4–6 (ladder) | 3 min | 2 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–10 | 2 min | 2 |
| Chest-supported row | 3 × 10 | 90 s | 1–2 |
| Romanian deadlift with dumbbells | 2 × 8 | 90 s | 2 |
| Dead bug | 3 × 8 per side | 45 s | Slow, back flat |
Session B: hinge focus
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Reps in reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trap bar deadlift | 3 × 4–6 (ladder) | 3 min | 2–3 |
| Push-up, weighted if easy | 3 × 8–15 | 90 s | 2 |
| Lat pulldown or chin-up | 3 × 8–10 | 90 s | 1–2 |
| Step-up | 2 × 10 per leg | 60 s | 2 |
| Farmer’s carry | 3 × 40 m | 60 s | Heavy |
Session C: press focus
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest | Reps in reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press or landmine press | 3 × 5–7 (ladder) | 2–3 min | 2 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8 per leg | 90 s | 2 |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s | 1 |
| Hip thrust | 3 × 10 | 90 s | 2 |
| Pallof press | 2 × 10 per side | 45 s | Controlled |
How the rep ladder works
The ladder applies to the first exercise in each session. Everything else uses simple double progression: when every set reaches the top of the range, add the smallest weight jump.
Example for Session A at 80 kg on the squat, target 3 × 4–6:
| Time through | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 2nd | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 3rd | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 4th | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 5th | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 6th | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| 7th | 6 | 6 | 6, so next time use 82.5 kg and restart at 3 × 4 |
The ladder makes progress visible even in weeks when you can’t add weight, and it never asks for more than one extra rep per session.
The eight-week plan
Because the rotation isn’t tied to weekdays, think in sessions as well as weeks.
| Weeks | What changes | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Learn all three sessions; start main lifts at the bottom of the rep range | 3 reps in reserve |
| 3–4 | Climb the ladder one rep per session on main lifts | 2 in reserve |
| 5 | Deload: same weights, 2 sets per exercise, skip the ladder | 3–4 in reserve |
| 6–7 | Continue the ladder; add a third set to the second exercise if it feels easy | 2 in reserve |
| 8 | Same as 6–7, with the last set of each main lift at 1 in reserve | 1–2 in reserve |
Warm-up for a rotating plan
Since the main lift changes each time, so does the specific warm-up. Start with four minutes of rowing or cycling and one round of 10 bodyweight squats, 10 glute bridges and 10 band pull-aparts. Then:
- Before A: 3 slow goblet squats with a 5-second pause at the bottom, then ramp-up squat sets.
- Before B: 8 hip hinge drills with a dowel on your back, then ramp-up deadlifts.
- Before C: 10 wall slides and 10 light landmine presses, then ramp-up presses.
Swaps for cranky joints
| Joint | Session A | Session B | Session C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knees | Box squat to a higher box | Step-up to a lower box | Glute bridge for lunges |
| Back | Goblet squat for back squat | Rack pull from knee height | Seated landmine press |
| Shoulders | Floor press for incline | Push-up on handles or a bench | Landmine press only; skip overhead |
If an exercise hurts during the set, stop and switch. If pain persists from session to session, have a physiotherapist look at it.
How to know it’s working
Keep a log of every ladder. After eight weeks you should have finished at least one full ladder on each main lift and moved the weight up, ideally twice. Your carry distance at the same weight should feel easier, and your total session count should be close to what you planned. If you’re always restarting the same ladder, you’re likely missing sleep or food rather than effort.
Next steps
When the rotation becomes routine, you can keep it for months by cycling the main lifts (front squat for back squat, Romanian deadlift for trap bar). If your schedule has settled into exactly three days, the 3-day workout adds heavy, volume and speed days. For an equipment-light version, use the dumbbell workout, and for a printed full-body plan with logs, browse the FITWITHIM programs.
Questions people also ask
Is full body training better than a split after 40?
Neither is better in itself. Full body suits men whose week is unpredictable, because missing a day never means missing a body part. Splits suit men who can train four or more days on a fixed schedule.
How many exercises should a full body workout have?
Five or six. One main lift, two or three supporting movements that cover the rest of the body, and a carry or core exercise. More than that and the last exercises get done badly.
Can I do a full body workout every day?
Not hard ones. Your joints and tendons need about 48 hours between demanding sessions. On the days between, walk, cycle or do the mobility routine instead.
What is a rep ladder?
A way to progress without adding weight every week. You keep the same load and add one rep to one set at a time until every set hits the top of the range, then add weight and start the ladder again.